Researchers plan to track the organ's performance for a second month. It's another step in the long quest to one day use animal organs to save human lives. More than 100,000 patients are on the nation’s transplant list and thousands die each year waiting.
This seems like it could eventually lead to a lot of pigs suffering if there aren’t stringent laws requiring their humane treatment (and considering how things are in the animal agriculture industry, it’s a fair bet to say there won’t be).
I think they would be treated better than agricultural pigs because you want the organs in the best health for transplant. If they mistreat the animals then the organs wouldn’t last as long. Although maybe they wouldn’t care since they can charge you for a second replacement later, if it’s done in the fucked up US healthcare system.